Repurpose Project: Crate Turned Bookshelf

Not too many of us have four-foot tall old shipping crates just hanging around to repurpose.

I’m just guessing here, anyway.

But lucky me, I find all kinds of treasures in my grandparents’ house and garage. Like this shipping crate. It was originally used to ship fragile items from Columbia Lighting, according to a stamp on its side.

My grandpa (I call him Poppy) added a couple of shelves for me and voilà. Turned on its side, this shipping crate makes a fun narrow bookshelf.

This is one sturdy shelf. It’s so heavy; I could barely lift it to try it out in different spots around my house before selecting the perfect location. And, it’s almost as tall as me!

I love the perfectly imperfect parts about this shelf. “This side up” is handwritten in marker on one side. It also has several stamps from the lighting company where it originated. And all of the wear and tear, adds charm. After all, it’s a shipping crate. It should have some wear!

The narrow width of this shelf works great in my tiny home. It’s exactly what I needed. What do you think?

If you like this, also check out this DIY TV console made from wood crates.

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